Hurricane Sandy blamed for 200K+ power outages, 2 deaths

From drenching rain to heavy snow, Sandy socks Maryland

Utility crews have their hands full with hundreds of thousands of power outages caused by what was Hurricane Sandy, a storm that left as many as two Marylanders dead early Tuesday morning. (Track Sandy on interactive radar)

Now a post-tropical cyclone, Sandy made landfall along the southern New Jersey coastline at about 8:30 p.m. Monday. While it seemed to be a little calmer Tuesday morning, officials continue to warn residents to take precautions and stay indoors.

Pictures that began coming into the 11 Newsroom Tuesday showed flooding in downtown Annapolis and in Cockeysville, Baltimore County, where a the side of a building partially caved in.

In Baltimore, officials said Sandy brought 6 1/2 inches of rain and 67 mph wind gusts. The city received reports of more than 230 downed trees, many of which were in roads. The mayor also said about 17 traffic signals lost power and heard that BGE reported about 220 downed wires.

In Baltimore County, Bowleys Quarters and Turners Station saw about 16-18 inches of storm surge, according to County Executive Kevin Kamenetz.

Answering many queries about the fishing pier in Ocean City, officials said about 50 to 80 feet of it was damaged. Officials said this isn't the first time the fishing pier has been damaged like this, WBAL-TV 11 News reporter Lowell Melser reported.

Ocean City officials said there was significant flooding downtown with 7 feet of water, a height not seen since Hurricane Gloria.

Mayor Marty Meehan said seawalls will protect the boardwalk, but they're expecting erosion of dunes. As a result, flooding is possible in higher street areas (including 74th and 90th streets). Route 90 was reopened heading into O.C. by 5:30 a.m. Tuesday.

Across the other end of the state at Deep Creek Lake in Garrett County, snow began falling due to the cold front that moved in from the west. State police closed Interstate 68 in Garrett County Monday evening, after four tractor-trailers collided under heavy snowfall. Blizzard warnings were in effect in Garrett and western Allegany counties.

The State Highway Administration said visibility was "extremely poor" as snow fell up to two inches an hour, and there could be 1 to 2 feet of snow accumulation.

"Conditions in western Maryland are terrible right now," SHA administrator Melinda Peters said in a statement Monday.

Elsewhere across the state, the Maryland Transportation Authority closed the Susquehanna River crossings -- Tydings (Interstate 95) and the Hatem Memorial bridges (U.S. Route 40) -- and the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. Transportation officials told 11 News all the bridges were reopened by noon Tuesday, with wind warnings and restrictions in place.

Queen Anne's County emergency officials said they recorded sustained winds of 80 mph at the bridge with wind gusts of 90 mph, WBAL-TV 11 News reporter David Collins reported.

This is only the seventh time in which the state closed the Bay Bridge as a result of severe weather conditions.

The governor said the tidal surge will cause a lot of flooding in streams and rivers because, as the winds shift, it'll be pushing water up into the bay. He said that, combined with the heavy rain, will cause tributaries to overflow in ways the state hasn't seen since hurricanes Gloria or Agnes.

State officials urged residents to stay inside and avoid driving. In Baltimore City, travel restrictions are in place until noon Tuesday. Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake said crews are assessing the downed trees (about 180) in the streets to see if they can lift that restriction earlier.

"The reality is tomorrow (Tuesday) is not going to make for better driving conditions, and we will still need people to stay off the roads so that crews can clear drains, remove debris and trees and assess the damage," Peters said. "We've seen too many single vehicle crashes where people run off the road after losing control driving too fast for conditions."

State government was closed Monday and Tuesday, except for essential employees, and early voting was canceled for both days as well.

The National Weather Service announced several weather advisories for much of the state beginning Sunday night. In preparation, the governor declared a state of emergency on Friday, giving the state flexibility to activate the Maryland National Guard and provide resources to local emergency managers.

President Obama Signs Maryland Emergency Declaration

The president today declared an emergency exists in the state of Maryland and ordered federal aid to supplement state and local response efforts due to the emergency conditions resulting from Hurricane Sandy beginning on Oct. 26, 2012, and continuing.

The president's action authorizes the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to coordinate all disaster relief efforts which have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population, and to provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures, authorized under Title V of the Stafford Act, to save lives and to protect property and public health and safety, and to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in all counties and the Independent City of Baltimore in the State of Maryland.

Specifically, FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize, and provide at its discretion, equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency. Emergency protective measures, limited to direct federal assistance, will be provided at 75 percent federal funding.